‘情侣’ (qíng lǚ) literally combines 情 (qíng), meaning ‘feeling’ or ‘emotion’, especially romantic love, and 侣 (lǚ), meaning ‘companion’ or ‘partner’. Together, they form a noun referring specifically to two people in a committed, romantic relationship — typically dating, engaged, or cohabiting, but not yet married. It emphasizes mutual affection and public recognition as a couple, often implying shared activities like dining out, traveling, or celebrating holidays together.

The term is neutral and widely used in everyday speech, media, and advertising (e.g., ‘情侣套餐’ — couple’s meal). Unlike ‘夫妻’ (fū qī), which means ‘married couple’, 情侣 carries no legal or marital connotation. It’s also distinct from ‘恋人’ (liàn rén), which refers to one’s individual romantic partner (singular), whereas 情侣 always denotes the pair as a unit. You’ll commonly see it in contexts involving relationships, social behavior, or lifestyle choices.